On knitting and meditation and why I need a blog

I found this article and thought it said a lot about how a lot of knitters feel about knitting. http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer03/FEATknittingyourself.html

So...I should explain my situation.  You see, I'm at a crossroads in my life right now: I'm on disability for my fibromyalgia and diabetic neuropathy. My husband just passed away and I'm now a widow. I had to reduce my costs to live on my disability check so I moved into a teeny house with an equally teeny rent. I share my little place with my adult son who has high functioning autism, but is reluctant to try for disability because he believes that being labled as disabled will limit his possibilities for a decent future. We are both trying to get by on what I get for SSI and it's daunting, but I love the idea that I am independent and in control of my own life now. Because of all of the above, I am now extremely anxious to get some kind of extra income coming in from my crafts. 

While all the issues of my life might seem like a big vent, actually I'm quite relieved with where my life is heading now. I have my own place and can decorate it anyway I please and load it full of the things I love...namely yarn... and spend on only the things that I need or want. I don't have to answer to anyone and that is a freeing feeling.

I recently met a wife of a friend of Randy (my husband) and found that we have a lot in common. Especially the need to get a cottage industry going that will put food on the table. I have agreed to work with her and produce as much knitting and crocheting as I can for her to sell and we will split the earnings.  Some of our obstacles that we are running into is 1. I have no transportation and live about 20 miles from her. The town I live in has no place that sells yarn other than the small local Walmart where I can find only poor quality yarn (however it is affordable). 2. I'm limited on cash so I have to keep my overhead at a minimum. 3.  We have to do most of our sales in another location or over the internet and so postage for our items will have to be added to our overhead. 4. I am limited on space for storing yarn and supplies. Those are my limitations, here are my bonuses
1. I am eager, energetic and  passionate about my crafts. 2. I am learning new techniques all the time to add to my inventory. 3. I have a lot of time because I'm not working. 4. I have internet access 5. I can reach about anything in my town by bus so not having a car is not as limiting as it may seem. 6. There is no one here to tell me I can't do something or discourage me. 

I took over this tiny little place while I was caring for Randy. 

Yes, it is what it looks like: a converted garage. When I got here at the end of October I walked into a house that had about an inch of dust on everything, had roaches the size of dogs, and it smelled awful. Before Randy got out of the hospital (he had been living here for 2 years along and was the stereotypical bachelor) I went on a cleaning frenzy.
 

The worlds most tiny kitchen. I have absolutely no counter space to work with. My plan is to take an old dresser, paint it white or light blue and put a butcher block top on it and place it under the window.
 

This room had the bed and a hospital bed for Randy in it. There were boxes piled everywhere and stacks of clothing that was covered with dust. In one window there was a piece of unpainted plywood with a small air conditioner. The rug was so worn out that it was stuck to the floor. I pulled up the rug, scoured the floor, and put curtains in the windows (one covered the plywood and the air conditioner. When I get the chance, I'll paint the plywood white and then pull the curtains back when I run the air). 
 

This is the other side of the room with the bed and chair. I put my desk here and put the dresser in the closet to make more space. The curtain was a door that had a panel broken out and was being held together with duct tape. I removed the door, put up the curtain and cleaned out the top of the closet of the boxes and junk that was stored there. I moved an old, small book shelf next to the dresser and I have the linens stored on it. I didn't take a picture of the little bathroom that is on the other side of the door, but it is now clean (it was pretty scary when I got here). 
 

  This is the other side of the room that has the kitchen in it. When we get our things from Nevada, John's desk will go here. I plan to replace the chair with a new one (one that doesn't have the arm taped into place.LOL). You can't see it, but there are blinds on the window and I plan to buy fabric and make a curtain to cover them and dress it up a little. 

I look forward to turning this into a little cottage full of yarn and soft things. I want to be able to be inspired here to knit and crochet and make a life for John and I.